May 15, 2002

Design Detailings: Challenges in courthouse design

Design of the Federal Courthouse included dialogue with judges.

Dorm Anderson of NBBJ will speak about the new U.S. Courthouse at noon Thursday in Room 100 of Gould Hall at the University of Washington. The speech is titled the "New United States Courthouse in Seattle: The Mystery and Pleasures of Designing a Large Federal Project with the United States General Services Administration."

The presentation will cover the critical space needs of the federal court system, siting the building, and the resulting design, which is presently under construction. The process included a dialogue about design with federal judges and judicial departments that will share the building.

The Seattle courthouse will include several breakthrough concepts in the design of federal courthouses, made possible by communication between future tenants and the design team. For directions, go to www.washington.edu/home/maps/northwest.html.

Revisiting Rem, via the Internet

Did you miss Rem Koolhaas' April 11 lecture at University of Washington or get there too late? Courtesy of UW's College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the Koolhaas presentation is available for viewing online at www.caup.washington.edu/praxis/spring.php. Click on the "More" button for the lecture. On the detail page, you'll find links to the video streams, one optimized for broadband, one for 56k modems.

Forum for project management success

"Budget Controls Methods for Project Success" will be the topic of an all-day seminar Tuesday at the Mountaineers Building. The event is sponsored by the College of Architecture and Urban Planning Continuing Professional Education Program at University of Washington, and appropriate for project managers at all levels.

The seminar will take participants through aspects of a project and offer opportunities for improving performance. The process begins with establishing a relationship at negotiation and continues through completion and beyond. Participants will have opportunities to test theories using practical examples. The goal is to give participants practical tools to use on their projects.

Engineer Steve Isaacs will lead the seminar. He has been an officer in the Professional Services Management Association and a speaker at many industry conferences, including the AIA national convention. Cost is $300. The Mountaineers Building is at 300 Third Ave. W. For information, contact Lyn Firkins at (206) 685-8222.

ASCE members share talents

On April 27, a 40-volunteer group from the American Society of Civil Engineers rehabilitated House No. 33 in the Rainier Valley under the leadership of Rebuilding Together house captain Ann Epler of Hammond Collier Wade Livingstone and volunteer coordinator Mary Holland of RoseWater Engineering.

More than 200,000 volunteers performed home repair projects on 8,000 houses nationwide in connection with Rebuilding Together USA, a national non-profit organization specializing in rebuilding homes for low income or physically disabled homeowners.

Landscaping, installing motion detector lights, reconstructing the porch, installing new outlets, adding a stackable washer/dryer unit and rearranging the kitchen to improve access were among 27 tasks performed by the volunteers from various civil engineering disciplines. House 33 was one of approximately 50 Seattle area houses rehabilitated that day.

Epler said the project provided an outlet for civil engineers to share their talents with the community, and a chance to work with others in the profession.

Environmental engineering forum May 22

On May 22, the Management in Engineering Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Seattle State Section of the American Society for Engineering Management presents the second annual forum on designing for the future: Engineering for the Environment.

The forum will cover topics such as how environmental issues are expanding business opportunities, cutting-edge technologies and business models that are driving growth in engineering for the environment, and what organizations are undertaking design for the future.

A multidisciplinary panel of green design experts will talk about how sustainability is being integrated into engineering design. Leaders will discuss finance, management, policy, engineering and land use planning required to manage environmental change and position their organizations for expanding business opportunities.

Panelists Marina Alberti, University of Washington Urban Design & Environmental Planning associate professor, will speak on the impact of alternative urban development patterns on ecosystems. Engineer Mark Buehrer will speak on wholistic engineering. Steve Dubiel of EarthCorps in Seattle will speak on green design community-based environmental restoration. Timothy Lowry, ASCE Management in Engineering chair, will facilitate.

The forum will be held at the Rock Salt Steak House, 1232 Westlake Ave. N. Cost is $40 prepaid, with reservation postmarked by Friday, May 10, or $50 thereafter. Price includes dinner and refreshments. Contact Lori Doherty, Shannon & Wilson, Box 300303, Seattle 98103. For more information about the forum, call Mohammed Kashani at (425) 388-6493.